Control for aircraft and the like



May 29, 1923.

' H. M. FRANZEN CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT AND THE LIKE FileduJune 29, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l SNVENTO'I? May 29, 1923. 1,457,024 H;.M. FRANZEN CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT AND THE LIKE Filed June 29, 19.20 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 reamed May 29, 1923.

'UNHTED STATE-S HENR Y M. FRANZEN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT AND THE LIKE.

application filed June 29, 1920. Serial No. 392,649.

his invention relates to an aircraft and particularly pertains to the steering and propulsionthereof.

It is the object of this invention to pro vide a construction in an air craft for facilitating control thereof, and to provide means whereby the craft may be caused to hover or stop in mid air and to move vertically at will so as toenable'starting and landin in restricted areas. a.

Another object is to provide a meansfor drawing a volume of air from one side of a sustaining element of an air craft to 'create a suction adjacent the forward surface of said element, and for ejecting the volume of air at such point and in such manner as to obtain a propulsive and steering eflfe'ct.

A further ob ect is to provide a construction of-the above character whichis especially applicable for use on air crafts of the buoyant type in which lar e gas conmay be used on aeroplanes, submarines, or other craft designed to be sustained and propelled in a fiuid medium, as air or water.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative of the manner of employing the principles involvedin my invention-and are not intended'to set forth exact details of construction which are subject to various modifications as varying conditions may render necessary without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal vertical sectionof an air craft showing the manner of employing one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a front end view;

Figure 3 is a view in transverse vertical section as seen on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the air craft shown in Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 6 are views in section; and

body 10 comprisin an envelope or'bag for tamers are employed, butwhic however,

Figure 7 is a detail in'perspective illustrating modified forms of the invention.

Figure 8 is a view in side elevation illustrating a propulsive element employed in carrying out my invention.

Figure 9 is a detail in section showing a modified form of the air conduit terminals.

More specifically, 10 indicates the body of an air-craft of the buoyant type, to which my invention is here shown as applied; the

containing a suitable gas, as is common in dirigible balloon construction,

In carrying out my invention, I equip the structure 10 with a series of air ducts or passages which are arranged to lead from points of intake and points-of discharge, located at such positions on the air-craft as occasion may require and according to the size and ty e of craft on whichv myinvention is to 0 used. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, as shown in Figures 1. to 4 inclusive, the gas containing structure 10- is provided with a longitudinally. extending air duct 11, arranged axially of the gas container and opening as indicated at 12 and '13 at the front and rear ends of the gas container; the terminals of the duct 11 being flared outwardly as indicated at 14' to provide funnel-shaped inletsand outlets for facilitating the intake of air at either end of the duct, and the forward terminal being inclined upwardly so as to particularly facilitate the inr'ush' of air at the upper part of the duct and thus materially aid the 'air craft in its 0 ascent. Mounted in the duct -11.is one or more propellers 15 which are adapted to effect intake of airat either end of the duct and cause theair entering the duct to pass therethrough and discharge therefrom as will later appear; the propellers 15 being here shown as four in number with double propellers arranged adjacent the funnel shaped terminals of the air duct. Any suitable number and arrangement of propellers may be employed as occasion may require. This central longitudinally extending duct serves with the propellers as a means for inducing a suction at either end of the structure l0 as an aid to impelling or retarding movement of the air-craft in either. direction. For example, in driying the aircraft in a forward direction the propellers in the air duct will be operated to cause an inrush of air from the forward end of the gas container, thereby rarefying the air immediately forward of the air-craft, so as to lessen or decrease the resistance toits.

forward movement and at the same time efiect a suction tending to draw the aircraft forwardl the volume of air flowing through the duct and discharged at the rear end of the air-craft operating on and being impinged on the surrounding atmosphere at the rear end of the air-craft to impel the latter in a forward direction. Reversal of the flow of air through the duct will serve to either retard forward movement of the air-craft or to impel it lengthwise as occasion may require.

As a means for aiding upward, downward, or lateral movement of the air-craft and for guiding it, cross air ducts 16 are provided, which may be one or more in number and arranged at any convenient point throughout the gas container; the air ducts 16 being here shown as inclined to the. vertical and extending between the upper and lower wall portion of the gas container, with their upper and lower ends opening, as indicated at 17 and 18, on opposite sides of the longitudinal vertical center of the gas container. A pair of the cross ducts 16 is here shown as arranged adjacent to each end of the gas container, with the ducts of each pair communicating with the longitudinal duct 11 and intersecting with ea ch other. Propellers 19 are arranged in the cross ducts and are preferably located adjacent to the lower ends thereof and adapted to induce a flow of air into either end of the cross ducts as occasion may require.

As a means for directing the flow of air through the several ducts in effecting con-.

trol of the air-craft, the ducts are fitted with a suitable arrangement of dampers; a

damper 20 being disposed in the'lon tudi: nal duct adjacent to the rearend t ereof,

dam ers '21 being located at the upper ends of t e cross ducts. and damers 22 being provided in the cross ducts etween their lower ends and their intersection with the longitudinal duct. The various dampers may be operated by any suitable connections not necessary to be here shown.

The propellers 15 and '19. may be driven and controlled from any suitable source of power, but are here shown as fitted with electric motors 23 and 24, preferably mounted direct upon the propellers. The propellers in the air ducts may be employedv as thesole means for impelling and steering the air-craft, but they are preferably supplemented by and employed as auxiliary to other propellers and steering means with which an air-craft may be equipped; the aircraft in this case being here shown as fitted with laterallyegrtending air-planes of the structure;

and propellers 26 adapted to co-operate with the gas container in supporting the aircraft, which air-planes and propellers are ada ted to be tilted vertically to effect, or aid in effecting movement of the air-craft on a vertical plane, and the propellers being further adapted to be swung laterally to direct the air-craft from side to side. The rear or stern end of the air-craft may be provided with rudders 27 and vertical and '5 horizontal stabilizing fins 28 and 29.

In the operation of the form of the invention previously described, a gas container is preferably provided having such lifting to'render the air-craft buoyant capacity as under the load it is designed to carry, so that the air-craft rise under the lifting action of the gas, but which lifting effect is such that it may be overcome by air through the ducts 1.6, and to be augmented by directing a downward current of air through these ducts. *It will'now be seen that by operating'the propellers 19 to create will have a tendency to directing an upward current of the downward flow of air through the ducts 16 with, the dampers 21 and 22 open, that the air-craft may be caused to rise vertically. and that by closing the dampers with one of the intersecting ducts and directing a current of air through the other a combined lateral and vertical inovement of ,the craft may be effected, while by operating propellers 15longitudinal movement will be obtained. By closing the dampers 22, and operating the propellers 1 5 with the dampers 1 00 20 and 21 open, a combined longitudinal and vertical movement may be effected. The various propellers and air ducts may be operated in such combinations as to enable control of movement of the air-craft in all directions, such as raising or lowering, movlng forward or backward, swinging from side to side as in turning, and tiltingilongitudinally, as well as maintaining the craft stationary in mid air in opposition to air currents and lift of the gas. w

In some instances it may be desirable to provide a plurality of openings in the uoyant structure and connecting the air ducts therewith, such for example as shown in Figure 5, in which the buoyant structure 10 is shown as provided'with a pair of spaced openings 31 and 32 at each of its ends arranged above and below the horizontal axis branches 33 and 34. at its terminals leading to the openings'31 and 32. Dampers 35 are provided and .arranged' in'such manner that either the duct. 33 or 34 may be closed to the other, discharged from either or both of the openings 31 and 32. In like manner the cross duct 16 is provided with branches *35 and 36 at its ends leading to s aced openings 37 and 38 on the upper and the central duct 11 having so that the air may be drawn in or ower portions of t pe shown in Figure S i s pre the structure and opening towards the front,

and rear ends thereof. Various other arrangements of the openings and the communicating ducts maybe employed. as oocasion may require.

If desired the longitudinal air duct may be arranged to extend along the: underside or bottom of the structure 10 as indicated at may extend upwardly through the structure In some instances itmay be desirable to form the air duct exterlorly of the structure, such for example as shown 1n Figure 7,

in which the longitudinal duct 4:2 and the vertical duct 43 are shown as mounted on the outer surface of the structure. 7

As the steering action of the volume of air entel'inginto or discharged from a duct is dependent upon the direction in which the air ,enters or is discharged; the terminals of the ducts may be extended beyond the outer wall 44 of the structure, as shown in Figure 9, and the extended portions. of the duct formed with accordion folds 45 or otherwise rendered flexible, so that the mouth of the duct may be turned in various directions as indicated in dotted lines 46.

Any suitable form of propeller may be employed for creating a flow of air throu h pro eller of tie erably used odyingga spiral blade ';.47

the ducts, but the spiral t is propeller em of suitable configuratlon'iiibunted on a shaft and WhlleI have shown 48 adapted to be driven by a'motjor 49 arranged intermediate the endof the propeller around which the propeller blades turn; the motor being carried on a suitable-sup port50 arranged within the duct.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a volume of air maybe drawn from adjacent a portion of the surface of the. dirigible structure and discharged 'at-a definite througha'confined pas ous points of intake and discharge may be selected so as to effect tion of movement of the craft'in any direction according to the will of the operator.

and described the inventlon as agphed to an air-craft of a buoye balloon type, I do not desire point thereof, stabilizing fins sage, and that varimovement 'or retarda to limit myself to such use as the invention isiequally suitable to other craft adapted to be supported and navigated. in a fluid medium, such as air-planes, ships, submarines, and the like. a

By arranging the ruddersso that the induced current of air discharged from the rear end of the tube 11 will be directed thereagainst, a stabilizing and steering effect may be obtained independent of movement of I the craft, as the induced air current impinging on the rudders will act on the craft when it is stationary in a manner substantially similar to rangement permits the craft being turned around within a comparatively small space.

Among the advantages derived by the use of my invention is that greater lifting power and speed may be obtained and greater safety'assured than, by ordinary constructions. r

I claim:

1. In an air-craft, a gas container havin an air duct opening at one end thru,- the we of the container and leading to andopening thru the rear end thereof, means for inducing a current of air-thru said duct, a plurality of stabilizing fins on the rear portion of said container adjacent the duct opening,

1 and a rudder attached to each of said stabi an opening at the front and rear ends-there of, an air duct extending between saido enings, means for directin a current 0 air through said duct where y a volume of air may be drawn from adjacent either end of the container and dischargedat the other end ocated at the rear end of the duct for stabilizing the air-craft and rudders attached to said stabilizing fins so arranged that the induced current of air discharged from said rear end will be directed against the rudders.

In an air-craft, a'gas container havin an air duct opening at its-ends thru the wafi the relative air currents caused by movement of the craft. l his arof the contamer, means for inducing a current of air thru said duct, a plurality of stabilizin fins adjacent to each of said stabilizing hns projectin air passing thru said not.

- HENRY M.-FRANZEN.

into the current of 

